6 May 2017

Is Tanzania's Magufuli Tying His Legacy to Infrastructure?

While launching the Dar es Salaam-Morogoro railway line project, on the day Tanzanians remembered the passing of its former prime minister, Edward Moringe Sokoine who perished in a road accident in 1984, President John Magufuli left no doubt, once again as to where his vision of the future of the country lies writes Erick Mwakibete for The Citizen.

While launching the Dar es Salaam-Morogoro SGR line project, on the day Tanzanians remembered the passing of its former prime ministers, Edward Moringe Sokoine who perished in a road accident in 1984, President John Magufuli left no doubt, once again as to where his vision of the future of the country lies.

Sokoine lived and worked in the times of Mwalimu when the country saw its future accomplished through the policies of Ujamaa, inspired by the East especially China, which failed to deliver the economic miracles to propel us out of humiliating poverty but delivered a country with principles and values; a country where the sense of accomplishment was more than economic gains.

Mwalimu managed to instill in us a sense of nationhood; something which eluded his peers in other countries leading to bloodbaths in post-colonial Africa.

President Ali Hassan Mwinyi lived in the shadow of Mwalimu throughout his decade in office and sought to achieve the economic success which had eluded his successor. Mwinyi opened up the country and sought to allow conversation about political pluralism and the nature of the Union. While political pluralism was achieved the conversation on the nature and future of the Union failed, as did economic success even though under his watch there was an economic boom in some sections of the society.